Storify: #voluntaryhistory

In October 2014, Laurent Dubois coined the Twitter hashtag #voluntaryhistory. The #voluntaryhistory hashtag invited people to imagine interpretations of historical events in which it is quite clear that the term "voluntarily" makes little sense. Dubois hoped this might help illustrate the curious ways in which some historical agents and actors -- such as the enslaved who resisted slavery -- are rendered invisible by certain historical narratives. The hashtag quickly went viral, with over 1600 posts by over 750 unique users, a reach of over half a million people, and a write up in The Guardian.